Broken Promise (The Broken Ones Book 3) (6 page)

"And you told him," she said
wearily.

"Yes."

Dropping her hands into her lap, she
struggled to keep calm. She had to remain strong.

"The king was…angry. Also rather
surprised you had the power to accomplish this. He has many questions, for all
of you, but especially you, Arowyn."

"Are you to ask them?"

He shook his head. "The matters in
the north have been dealt with. He comes now."

Her head shot up in alarm. "Now?
When will he be here?"

"A few weeks at most. Depending on
any issues he must address as he heads this way."

"Rot," she muttered under her
breath.

"I know I offered for you to stay
with us, however at this time it would be best if you left our lands. I am
uncertain if the king's anger will fade and cannot say what he may do." He
paused again. "Do not take his anger lightly. Though he is a just and good
king to us, he has little tolerance for humans."

Kei's hand slipped over hers. "We
will go to the city," he said quietly. "For the winter at
least."

The alpha shook his head slightly.
"Have you considered taking a ship back to the west?"

Aro's breath caught in her throat.

Bo cursed. "It is that bad?"

"I do not know," Rhee-En
answered. "I meant what I said. I will support you as I can, but I cannot
guarantee your safety against the king."

"Aro?"

She looked up at Kei, noting his concern,
and realized her entire body had begun to tremble. "I can't go on a ship.
I can't…" She turned to Bo, looking for understanding on his face. The
last, and only, ship she'd been on had been a slave ship…and it sank.

He reached out and rubbed her shoulder.
"I know, pup. There will be no need for that."

Remain safe within the walls until the
snow leaves the fields.

Her head snapped back to meet Kei's
tortured eyes.
Is that more of it?

He nodded slightly, gripping her hand
tighter.

Rhee-En looked back and forth between
them. "What is it?"

"We will stay in the city," she
said firmly.

Rhee-En shook his head. "Very well.
You will not be acknowledged as an alpha until the king passes judgment on the
matter."

Aro opened her mouth to reply. She
hadn't expected to be, but Rhee-En continued before she could speak.

"Some Were may be cautious and
address you as such."

"I don't understand."

We do not have princes or lords,
Garen told
them.
We show our respect to alphas in their name.

"Garen is correct. I would imagine
you would prefer Aro-En. Arowyn-En is a bit of a mouthful."

Suddenly overwhelmed, she looked to Garen
and then back to Rhee-En, uncertain what to say.

You never called me that,
she sent to Garen.

He paced around the table, tail low.
Please
forgive me, I–

I don't want you to!
He came up to
her, and she turned to take his large head in her hands.
We're family.
Understand? We are different.
She held his head until he pressed against
one hand and moved back.

"Will…" She paused, uncertain
how to put her question into words. "Will your Were talk to us
again?"

"Yes. Do not hold their actions
against them, they were merely being cautious." He turned his head and
paused for a moment. "I must attend some matters." He stood and
nodded to them all. "You may stay as long as you wish."

"Thank you," she said
sincerely and watched him walk away. When he was out of sight, her body slumped
and she closed her eyes. What were they going to do now? Consequences, indeed.
Prince would probably give her a daylong lecture if he were here.

"We have a few weeks," Bo said
into the silence.

We should go as soon as possible,
Garen argued.

"I need to talk to Rhee-En
again." She straightened.

Bo raised his eyebrows. "About what?"

She laughed weakly. "About this
whole alpha, pack situation. Apparently I know absolutely nothing."

This is a wise decision. There is much
Arowyn could learn from Rhee-En, if he is willing to teach her.

"Kei?" She squeezed his hand
again. He looked off into the distance.
I want to be stronger,
she mind-spoke
to him.
I need to be strong for you. I need to learn all I can.
"Was
there more? To the prophecy?"

His hand squeezed hers so tightly it
hurt. "Should the broken prince be returned, those remaining must take
shelter in the city. Remain safe within the walls until the snow leaves the
fields. To leave invites sorrow and loss to fall down upon you. To follow will
mean your death."

His words were met with silence from
them all.

∞ ∞ ∞

They returned to the cabin. Kei sat on
her bed, leaning against the wall while she paced. Bo sprawled out on his bed,
and Garen found a spot on the floor where Aro wouldn't step on him.

"Stay, go? We need to consider both
options."

They debated both for a while. Aro paused
as the wind picked up outside. Bo got up and closed the shutters on the
windows.

Once the bars were in place, he turned
and crossed his arms. "I'll go. Find us a place. You stay a little longer
and learn what you can."

"I don't like the thought of you going
alone," she admitted.

I will go with him. Kei can stay with
you.

She nodded. "That could work."
She grinned. "You can make sure Bo finds a place suitable for you and Kei.
Not too cramped, maybe a yard? Not anywhere too busy." She turned and
looked at Kei.

He nodded.
As long as I'm with you.

"I'll see if I can find Rhee-En. If
he's not willing to talk to me more, then we'll all go together. If he is, I'll
let him know our plans."

"There isn't much we need," Bo
added. "We can leave at first light." He grinned. "I'm looking
forward to being able to settle down for a bit."

So was she, but after a quick glance a
Kei, she didn't say so.

Chapter 6

Proposals and Lessons

Aro left their cabin, leaving behind Bo,
who wanted to once again sort through their packs.

Feeling someone beside her, her hand
went to her dagger as she turned.

Kei rolled his eyes. "Pay
attention," he said quietly while she scowled at him.

"Don't sneak up on me." She
removed her hand from the dagger Prince gave her, and noticed Kei's lips harden.
Glancing at his waist, she saw he didn't wear his. Heading in the direction she'd
last seen Rhee-En go, she changed the subject. "I can talk to him on my
own. You didn't have to come."

I don't trust him.

Startled, her head snapped around to
stare at him.

With you,
he added.

I thought we could trust the Were? I
don't understand.

You don't understand men at all.

Heat rushed to her cheeks and she looked
away, concentrating on looking for the alpha.
What are you saying?

I don't like the way he looks at you
sometimes.

She didn't either, and Kei hadn't likely
seen a lot of those looks or heard the comments Rhee-En sent only to her.

He knows I love Prince.

Kei snorted but didn't reply.

He was right. She didn't understand men half
the time. It frustrated her, because she should. She'd grown up with them and
spent the last year with her boys. Realization struck her, and she let out an
irritated breath. She didn't understand men when it came to women.

They walked around the settlement
quietly. They received the odd wave or smile from Were going about their day.
Things remained changed though, and she wished they hadn't.

Finally, they found him at the building
holding the horses. She couldn't quite call it a barn or stable, though it did
have a few stalls. The large structure contained an open area as well as a few
rooms, but she wasn't sure what they used it for.

Repetitive thumping reached her ears as she
opened the door and slipped inside. Rhee-En stood by one of the stalls with two
other Were, talking quietly.

They nodded respectively and quickly
left. She watched them go before turning back to the alpha.

"Is there something you need,
Arowyn?"

"Garen and Bo are going to the city
tomorrow."

His brows drew down in confusion.

"I wanted to ask," she started
again, before he could say something. "If you had the time to talk with me
more about the Were. About being an alpha. If so I would like to stay a few
days to learn from you before I join them."

"We."

She blinked in surprise at Kei's soft,
but firm voice behind her. "Yes, we. Kei would be staying, too."

"I see." He regarded her a
moment before turning his eyes to Kei. "It should not be a problem."

The thumping continued. "What is
that?"

He turned to the stall. "Your Elven
steeds do not care to be indoors. Were you planning on keeping them in the
city?"

She opened her mouth and closed it
again. The horses Prince gave her and Bo had been the furthest thing from her
mind.

"The city is not the best place for
them. They are not like the horses you are used to. They do best with more
freedom." He paused. "Do you need to take them?"

Another thing she hadn't considered.
"Not to ride," she said finally. "Kei and I don't really need
them. But we have a lot of…" Her voice trailed off, uncertain if she
should tell Rhee-En about the bags and bags of coins and jewels.

"The prince rewarded you for
bringing him home. We saw how laden down they were when you arrived. We are not
human. You need not worry about such things with us."

His words made her want to crawl into a
corner and hide in embarrassment. Instead, she nodded once. "There is much
I have to learn about the Were."

A smile crossed his lips. He seemed
pleased with her reaction. "Yes, you do."

Perhaps we could leave most here. It
would be safer for Bo,
Kei said.

You trust them with this?

Yes.

She found it hard not to roll her eyes.
The thumping continued and she winced. "I have a proposition for
you."

Behind her, Kei let out a barely audible
groan.

What?

Bad choice of words.

Rhee-En laughed. "Please, do
continue."

Her cheeks grew warm again, but she
wasn't sure if it was from her verbal misstep or the sound of his laugh.
"Is it possible for us to leave the two Elven horses, and some of what Prince
gave us, here?"

He shook his head slightly. "If
things weren't as they were right now…"

"We will pay you for their keep and
to watch our belongings. Not a favor. If things don't go well…" She
thought a moment. "Part of our deal will be the horses and bags will be
brought to the border to meet us if we ask. We can even make a payment in advance?"

Rhee-En regarded her thoughtfully, his
eyes not leaving hers. "A business transaction."

"Yes."

"Very well." He turned back to
the horses. "We will move these two out to pasture today."

The thumping stopped. She raised her
eyebrows in surprise.

"I will have someone escort Bo and Garen
to the border in the morning."

"That's not–"

"There is a route this side of the
ravine they can use. He will not likely be noticed. It is how we go when we
travel to the city," he added.

She nodded her agreement. "Do you
go there a lot?"

"Myself, no. Some of the pack, yes.
Though many go to Newhaven instead. You are more likely to find Were of
Alar-En's pack in Westport."

She nodded quickly, understanding. She'd
heard him mention the alpha of the next pack to the north before. "Do they
know about us?"

"Yes."

He didn't say more and she decided not
to press. "Thank you."

She left, with Kei close behind her, to
talk to the others about their plans. Another thought made her pause at the
door.

"Something else?"

"What…" She paused, searching
for the right way to ask. "What would be the worst outcome, with your
king?"

"He would kill you," Rhee-En answered
mildly.

Nodding once, she pushed by a growling
Kei.

∞ ∞ ∞

"Everything will be fine,
pup."

She shifted from one foot to the other
as Bo tightened a strap. "I know," she muttered. "I just
worry."

He finished and then turned to ruffle
her hair, getting a scowl in return. "I'll pick a good home for us. I
promise."

"I know." That wasn't what she
worried about, and he knew it.

"Take care of Kei," he said
softly.

Pressing her lips together tightly, she
nodded and then flung herself against his wide chest. His large muscled arms
wrapped around her, holding her tight.

Promise to let us know how you are
and…and…

I will. For as long as I can.
They didn't
know how far their pack bond would reach. Westport was at least three days away,
and they'd never been very far apart. Quite possibly their link wasn't strong
enough to reach that far.

"We'll join you as soon as we
can." She squeezed him tightly, strangely enjoying the sensation of
feeling so tiny in his arms.

He pulled back and rested his hands on
her shoulders. "Be careful. Garen and I are only a thought away if you
need us."

The Were walked up and pushed his head
against her side. Bo dropped his arms after a final squeeze, and she bent to
wrap her arms around Garen's neck.
Take care of Bo for me.

Always. We will see each other again
soon.

"I'm going to miss you both." She
buried her face in his soft fur for a moment before stepping back.

Bo mounted up and Garen walked beside
him as they left the settlement. A female Were who would be their guide met
them at the outskirts. With a final wave, her boys rode out of sight.

Kei flung an arm over her shoulder.
"They'll be fine."

She hoped so. She didn't think she could
take losing another of her boys. Bo, Garen, and Kei were all she had left.
Something in her chest tightened around her heart, and she closed her eyes as
memories of Cain rose to the surface of her mind.

Kei's arm tightened around her and he
pulled her closer to place a kiss on her hair. "They will."

They headed back into the settlement.
Aro stopped in surprise as Cassia jogged up to her. "Good morning!"

"And to you." Kei nodded.

The Were hesitated a moment. "I was
wondering if you've kept up with your stretches?"

Cassia had helped to tend her after the
Vor attack, and once she healed, suggested a number of exercises and stretches
to help with the muscles where she'd been wounded.

"She hasn't," Kei answered for
her.

The Were shook her pretty head.
"Come along now then. Rhee-En is busy anyway. He said he wanted to talk to
you later, though." Dragging Aro away, she looked over her shoulder at
Kei. "Go find Lin. He'll have something for you to do. We'll come and find
you when we're done."

After a quick look at Aro, he nodded
once.

∞ ∞ ∞

A day passed, as did another, and then a
few more. Aro paced inside their cabin while Kei sprawled on one of the beds. She
was supposed to be sleeping, but her mind wouldn't be quiet. Another day
wasted. At least they hadn't lost contact with Bo and Garen. They'd made it
safely to the city the day before and were now scouting it out and searching
for a house.

The Were had also opened up to them
again for the most part, though some still remained shy. Or afraid. She wasn't
sure which, and hated it either way. What kept her in a foul mood was Rhee-En
never returned. Scouts sighted Vor and he'd gone off to deal with them.

Time had become a factor. She and Kei
would have to leave soon, whether Rhee-En came back or not. They couldn't risk
being in Were lands when the King returned.

"Perhaps we should just go
now," Kei said. They'd been discussing it for a while. Well, she'd done
most of the talking, but that wasn't anything new.

"But he has answers. There is so much
I don't know." She flung up her hands and growled in frustration. "I
hate this!"

He grinned over at her. For some reason,
he did that whenever she growled. Rolling her eyes, she shot him a dirty look
and started pacing again, trying to decide what to do.

"I still have things to teach
you."

Turning, she looked over at him. He'd
sat up on the bed, but his head was lowered as he picked absently at a blanket.

"I know," she answered.
"But we have all winter for that. It sounds like I won't talk to Rhee-En
again until spring, if ever."

The tenseness in his shoulders faded as
he nodded. "True." Looking up, he flashed a grin and patted the bed.
"But you're bored now. Come."

A smile pulled up her lips. Kei was hard
to resist sometimes. He shifted back to give her room as she settled by the end
of the bed, facing him.

His brows drew together suddenly.
"You'll be able to concentrate?"

"Well, I won't now that you said
that," she teased. "I'll be fine."

Though his words brought Prince to mind,
as the days passed, the turmoil in her head, and heart, eventually slowed. She
still thought of him too often, but not constantly. The ache in her chest faded
and the desire to cry disappeared. She would survive his absence. Waiting hurt.
Losing him hurt. Not having him by her side made everything feel wrong. However,
she still had her memories and her love for him. The certainty those would
never die kept her going. One day she would see him again. She could only hope
he would stay.

Clearing her throat, she forced a smile
and directed her thoughts back to Kei. "So, what are we doing?"

He smiled tentatively and then let out a
deep breath. "The fury. You need to learn to control it."

She nodded in total agreement. When the
Fey filled her with power to heal herself, the fury overwhelmed her, just as it
had done in the past.

"Let's start small. We'll practice
you taking it from me. Then I'll try to stop you and see if that does
anything."

She frowned. "Why would a Fey try
to stop me? None have so far."

"If they don't understand, or are afraid,
they might. You should be prepared."